Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary needs publicity, marketing tips

Leanne Fielder of Melbourne, Australia writes:

“I work for the Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. For over 35 years, volunteers and a skeleton staff have transformed 71 acres of degraded land into a rich and diverse area full of rare and unique flora and fauna that have not been seen in the greater Melbourne area since Europeans arrived over 200 years ago.

“Many ‘standards’ now used across the world, such as the ‘natural treatment’ of urban stormwater run off was pioneered at the Sanctuary. Many of the undergrad students who were volunteers are now leaders in the environmental field. We have infrared cameras in nesting boxes streaming live to the web 24/7. Most Australian birds and mammals are nocturnal and the webcam allows us to ‘spy’ on birds and animals keeping warm in winter, raising their young in spring and just hanging around.

“I have become stuck for ideas and need to get paying customers in the gate and also we need sponsors. We have many dedicated volunteers and a ‘Friends’ group that works hard to raise money. I have worked my previous customers database, sent press releases and use the local press but I can’t get it into the big time. Can your Hounds help with ideas?”

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There are lots of stock funds with a focus on being green. Maybe you can venture with them to have financial seminars conducted at your sanctuary.

“Australian Pet Idol Contest”

The idea behind this one is probably self evident.

Extreme targeting.
Earlier I said target hybrid owners well how about on a special day like Earth Day partner with hybrid dealers so that anyone that buys a hybrid on that day gets a year pass to your sanctuary for free.

Kid’s have science projects so any kid that does a science project related to animals or plants in your sanctuary get named a Junior Wildlife Sanctuary Hero. He gets a certificate and a additional outlet to display his project.

With the exception of devoted eco-tourists, wildlife sanctuaries doesn’t seem likely to get repeat customers (one major exception: school and their field trips, which may make for possibilities especially if you have youth-oriented programs and can do group rates.)

However, with global warming and energy prices, environment is becoming a bigger topic in people’s mind. In that aspect, I would try to leverage the sanctuaries’ workers and volunteers as experts who can comment on environemntal trends and how they affect the sanctuary’s wildlife (e.g. last week I heard a fairly lengthy public radio piece about how global warming affect migratory patterns).

One way to identify and attract sponsors would be looking at annual reports & programs of similar green organizations and see who the major contributors are (they are often printed on the programs.) From there, if possible, try to put together a database of potential sponsors for “the ask.”

For donations go to the group who do most to mess up the enviorment. Here in Florida that includes the developers, their enginering firms, builders, etc. We pitch to them that helping us will make them seem at least a bit more like concerned citizens. This has been sucessfull.

Provide people who visit your web site — or sanctuary — clear information on how they donate and make a difference. Ask for enduring donations — I designate part of my corporate giving to a parks system, another part to save California condors and the rest to local agencies. All is matched by my employer and “automagically” sent off to the agencies each quarter. I can see by visiting the park and reading the condor-saving web my $ is making a difference. Emphasize employer gift matching. Every eligible donation I make I have my employer match.

“How can you help” a perhaps 100×15 pixel question on your splash page. Perhaps a larger YOU CAN HELP! would aid visitors in their quest to assist you. Also, specific amounts (your donation, etc) will net very little. Give caring people a chance to help (your $5.00 donation will…, or your generous gift of $50.00 will…). Even the generous among us want to know HOW we can help, not just THAT we can help. And make it easy… have a donation form on the information page! Let ’em know what you want, and expect the best.

how about trying to reach tourists? contact Convention and Visitors bureaus to get listed or have brochures included
consider writing some travel related articles that feature your wildlife, especially something unique, and submit to travel publications. also submit them to online article publishers
invite some travel writers to visit when they are next in Melbourne, or nearby

how about a holiday camp(s) for kids, maybe one for younger and one more advanced for slightly older ones. it sounds as if you have lots of quality stuff available, and should be able to put together a strong program. If you have the ability to make it a residential camp, you won’t be limited to local area people.

On the camp note, if you go that route, there are likely registries of camps or publications which provide listings (at least I know that in the US major markets these are a huge business)

If there is a particular brand of equipment used to maintain the grounds perhaps the company and/or dealer network may be interested in sponsoring the facility.At the least maybe a donation of equipment in exchange for some publicity.

I am an artist who has worked repeatedly with the Ontario S.P.C.A. in Canada. One of the most successful fundraising efforts for them has been a poster I designed in 1997, which included almost fifty different animals. Since that time, the poster has raised many thousands of dollars.

I’m sure if you were to put out a call for entry, you could enlist many animal artists who would be willing to help out. Perhaps you could have an art show, with or without a musical concert, which could be publicised as an annual event. A local wildlife sanctuary and wetland has one here every year, and it’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.

If there’s money in the budget, you could have a contest for artists who would compete for a purchase prize. You’d get publicity for the competition, and again when the work was completed. The art could then be reproduced as an on-going fundraiser (posters, mugs, t-shirts, cards, etc.), and the original either displayed at the centre or sold at auction. I suggest a purchase prize, since you’d be more likely to get professional quality artists applying, as artists are constantly being asked to donate art without compensation.

Another idea in the same vein…with the right artist or group of artists of different styles, you could approach the Post Office about doing a series of wildlife stamps based on the art. This would benefit both your organization and the artist(s) you choose, and get you international recognition.

“It’s one of the largest animal adoption events in Ohio and features over one hundred dogs and cats available for immediate adoption. The event is free and takes place outdoors on the Zoo’s Ticket Plaza.”

I heard it announced on a Cleveland radio station this a.m. and thought it was pretty clever. They’ll have a good turn-out for a good cause.

Looking at the link, I see they were also able to line up some sponsors with deep pockets.

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